Climate health, women’s health, mental health

The climate crisis remains an existential threat, even as the world battles a global pandemic. Fortunately, generous partners remain committed to the success of the Georgia Climate Project, a statewide consortium of nine colleges and universities working to accelerate progress on climate change. The Waterfall Foundation and the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation are among the donors who pledged new support in late 2019 and early 2020. “Responding to climate change requires expertise from multiple disciplines and sectors,” says Dean James Curran. “Our foundation partners see the urgency and are effecting change.”

The grants are strengthening the network of climate experts and developing a portfolio of video and written stories highlighting climate impacts and solutions in Georgia. Support from the Waterfall Foundation, the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation, the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, Regions Bank, and other donors is integral to addressing climate change.

Dr. Roger and Susan Rochat have made an estate gift to support the GEMMA Faculty Scholar Endowment. The fund was established for the purpose of supporting a faculty scholar conducting research related to the prevention of maternal deaths from abortion, a cause to which Rochat has devoted most of his career. The funds were recently used to hire the school’s first GEMMA Scholar, Dr. Anna Newton-Levison 12MPH 20G. “Anna and I have been working together in different roles for about 10 years,” says Rochat. “We will be teaching Reproductive Health Program Management together this fall—virtually. And in the course of this first year, I hope that we develop a conceptual framework for how to achieve the global elimination of maternal mortality from abortion worldwide.”

Dr. Eugene and Rose Gangarosa have also committed to support the GEMMA Faculty Scholar Endowment via their estate. “We wanted to contribute in honor of the outstanding contributions Roger has made to our school, and to the field of public health,” says Gangarosa. “Roger is a globally recognized expert in maternal health, and he has been involved with the school since the mid-80s. He served as the first director of the International Health track, the forerunner of the Hubert Department of Global Health.”

Generous support from the J.B. Fuqua Foundation and the Realan Foundation has led to the establishment of the J. Rex Fuqua Scholarship. Students with a demonstrated interest in mental health, including those pursuing the certificate in mental health, will be eligible. Although the mental health program at Rollins enjoys a national reputation, this is the first Rollins scholarship for students whose career interests include the intersection of mental and public health.

Rex Fuqua and his family have been committed to improving the lives of those with mental illness for decades. At Emory, they have endowed three chairs in the Department of Psychiatry, which have been critical in establishing the Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression and the Child and Adolescent Mood Disorder program. They have provided significant support for mental health treatment, research, and education.

“Proper clinical care is crucial in the treatment of mental health disorders,” says Fuqua, “however, mental health also needs to be addressed on a population-wide level to create better systems and policies. These include improving access to care and eliminating inequities between mental and physical health treatment. We’re happy to support Rollins students who will go on to play a role in improving the nation’s mental health.”

Showing support through scholarship funds | Correction: The article that appeared in the spring 2020 issue of Rollins magazine misspelled Alisa Long Golson’s first name in the report of the establishment of the Golson Family Scholarship. We are very grateful for the gift, and we regret the error.